Kleptomania and Good Deeds
by EpochWon
Summary: When a young man awakens in Japan during the time of Mass Effect he meets Kasumi Goto. They quickly become friends and learn of each other's past. (OC semi SI)
1. Chapter 1

AN: I'll try to keep the notes to an absolute minimum. I like Kasumi, she is one of my favorite characters, but sadly she never gets very much story or impact in the games. I had an idea to write a backstory for kasumi, but I also enjoy reading SI stories (ones where the character isn't a marie sue). This is the result of that. The main character is sort of based on me, he wont remember every single detail about the games, he will forget things or not know at all. I want this story to be about the characters, not a power fantasy.

Chapter 1

I awoke with a splitting headache, my ears ringing. As I slowly came to I became aware of my surroundings. Slowly opening my eyes I began to take in my location, I was laying on the ground in what appeared to be an alleyway. I looked up and saw what appeared to be neon signs, my vision slowly came into focus and I could finally read the sign, except I couldn't. It was written in what I thought was Japanese. 'Where am I?' I thought to myself as I lifted myself off the ground. As I stood a sharp pain went through my head. I gripped the nearest wall, almost falling over. Making my way towards the street I kept a hand against the wall.

Exiting the alley I could finally see where I was, there were more of the neon signs, some were broken or not even on. The street looked to be a market, there were what seemed to be hundreds of shops with thousands of people all along the street. Looking at the people confirmed my theory that this had to be Japan, or at least some Japanese area of a city. Looking closer I could see that this seemed to be some sort of slum, people were dirty and the streets were filthy. I slowly walked out onto the crowded street, staying close to a wall.

'So,' I thought to myself, trying to collect my thoughts, 'I am most likely in Japan, in what appears to be a slum. What I want to know is how I got here'. I continued to wander along the street, looking for someone that would possibly speak English. That's when I thought to check what I even had on me, looking down I could see that I was wearing a worn out t-shirt and a pair of athletic pants in a similar condition. That's when I also realized I couldn't even remember what had happened leading up to my mysterious arrival in an alleyway. I decided just to ask anyone where I was, figuring someone had to know English.

I approached the nearest shop booth, looking for the owner. As I got closer I couldn't see the owner, but I could hear voices in the back. "Hello?" I asked, then realizing it was Japan so I should use my beyond basic knowledge of Japanese. "Err, konichiwa…?". There was no response, so I tried to look and see what was happening in the back. Leaning around the corner I could see what looked to be two figures ontop of a smaller third figure. Knowing that meant nothing good I climbed over the stand and jogged into the back area. I could get a better look now, the two larger figures who were most likely the owner and an employee looked to be attacking the smaller figure, who I could now see was a teenage girl with short black hair.

Being the nice person I am I decided to screw it and try to help the girl, I sprinted towards the closest assailant jumping and grabbing on, trying to bring them off their feet. The second assailant quickly noticed and stopped attacking the girl to help assist their partner. I held my arm around their throat, trying to put them into a choke hold. "Get out of here!" I yelled to the girl, who either understood English or understood the meaning and quickly got up and ran towards the front of the shop. I knew I would probably get beaten senseless, but at least I was still a decent person who helped someone in need. As I saw the girl disappear around the corner the second assailant pulled me off their partner's back and threw me to the ground, the first turned and punched me in the face, knocking me out cold.

I awoke again with a splitting headache, but this time my nose also hurt. I looked around, 'thrown to the street after being beaten unconscious, great'. I tried to stand, immediately throwing a hand to my ribs, 'probably bruised or broken when they tossed me out here'. I kept a hand on my ribs and slowly left the alleyway for the second time in the day.

-~-

'That boy probably saved my life,' she thought to herself as she snuck her way back home. Her hand fell to her pocket, subconsciously checking to make sure her goods were still there. He had arrived to help at the right time for her to make a run and grab some food from the shop at the same time. She could probably not show her face in that area again though. She thought back to the boy who saved her, he didn't seem to look that much older than her, but he looked foreign. 'What is a foreigner doing here in the slums? Let alone helping people like me?' the thought as she continued along. Why would a stranger help her when they could have used the chance to steal food or credits from the shop themselves?

Snapping out of her thoughts she realized she had arrived back home. Climbing through the broken window of her room she made her way to where her grandmother was resting. She had stolen enough ingredients over the last few days that she could probably get her grandmother to cook the ramen she loved so much. On the way she left the food she had stolen in the kitchen and made her way over to the small room where her grandmother was resting. "Grandma, I'm back." She said softly while placing a hand on her grandmother's arm in an attempt to wake her.

"Kasumi? Is that you, dear?"

A husky voice asked in return.

"Yes Grandma, I brought food and some ingredients."

Replied the girl, Kasumi. Her grandmother opened her eyes and looked at Kasumi, noticing the bruises on her face.

"Kasumi, I told you what would happen if you were caught, I don't like you risking your life just for food"

"Don't worry about me, I am fine. I managed to find more of the medicine"

"How many times have I told you not to worry about me, I'm a dying old woman. You should worry about yourself, it's what your mother would have wanted."

She replied sternly.

"Your all that I have left Grandma."

Kasumi replied quietly. They sat there in silence for a moment until her grandmother broke it.

"How about you clean yourself up and take care of those cuts and bruises and I'll see what I can make with these ingredients."

Kasumi nodded and turned to go clean up, stopping only for a moment to think about the boy who had saved her.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: I don't know when this story will be updated, but since I'm just sitting around during the quarantine I decided to write a bit. I plan on finishing the story then going back and fixing errors later. This is a very short chapter, but I promise the story isn't dead, I just don't write that often._

**Chapter 2**

Guilt, that is what Kasumi felt. She felt guilty for running, leaving the boy who saved her to be beaten in her place. That's how she found herself retracing her steps back to where it happened. It was dark out now, sticking to the shadows, not wanting anyone to recognize her. Coming upon the shop where it happened she searched the area for any sign of her saviour. That's when she noticed a small puddle of blood on the street curb, looking closer she could see small drops of blood leading into the nearby alleyway.

Following the trail into the alley she found the person she was searching for. A pang of guilt shot through her thoughts as she saw him lying against the wall, beaten and bruised, one hand on his ribs while the other rested on his bloodied nose. The shadows and blood hid his appearance. She slowly approached him, staying in the darkness. Now that she was close enough she could see the boy was asleep, or unconscious. Slowly, she knelt next to him, brushing his hair away from his face. He was young, couldn't be much older than her. He had long brown hair that went just past his shoulders, pale skin, made paler by his injuries. He looked to be American, or somewhere in North America.

Kasumi moved her arms under his shoulders, pulling him up. Moving her grip down she lifted him into a bridal carry, surprisingly, he weighed very little. She carefully carried him back to her home, making sure to stay in the darkness and to not put pressure on his chest.

* * *

I jolted up, suddenly aware of the pain throughout my body I winced and layed back down. I was in someone's home, the room I was in was lit by candles, and couldn't be that large. I suddenly became aware of the figure sitting on the end of the bed I was on, they were hunched over, reading something. The figure turned their head, now I could see it was a girl, the same girl I saved from those thugs. "Don't try to move, your ribs are broken." The girl spoke with a soft voice, surprisingly in English. "Where am I?" I managed to croak out.

"You're in my home, I found you in the alley beaten to a pulp."

"Why did you come back?" I asked.

"You helped me, why not return the favour?" She said with a slight chuckle. "My name is Kasumi, what's yours?"

"Cyril."


End file.
